The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-10
COOPERATION.
Christians Must Labor Together.
Strong Arguments Presented to the
Evangelical Alliance.
Best Plans To Be Adopted to Pro-
mote Our Social Welfare.
Strong Speeches Delivered by Some
of the Most Noted Thinkers.
Why Tho Protestant Churches Should
Be in Closer Relation with One
Another, and the Disaster OF
Religious Competition.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 0.--At the opening
conference Of the Evangelical alliance,
this morning, President Dodge announced
that illness had prevented Rev. DIR. Stors,
OF Brooklyn, from being present, and that
his paper on "The Necessity of Co-opera-
ton in Christian Work" would be read by
Rev. DIR. Chamberlain, Of Brooklyn, whom
he introduced.
DIR. stonS in his paper, alluded to the
perils arising from the misuse Of wealth,
illiteracy, and the estrnngement of many
from church. lie did not think there was
any reason for thinking that christianity
had not divine and divinely directed re-
sources adequate for the emergency. The
great thing needed was TO gather up and
concentrate our power.
Bishop Samuel Harris, Of Michigan, said
he believed that this conference was the
practical response of christian wisdom TO
the call of generally recognized need.
Vast and hostile forces were being mar
shaled and firmly knit to attack all that
we hold most dear. "ltwould be Madness"
said the speaker, ito remain dvidedin this
hour of danger. We must substitute CO.
operation for competition, as economists
teach the producer To do. Christ WIS the
great statesman who gave the only policy
on which civilization can bc at once free and
safe. His leadership has always succeeded.
Our fathers buildcd wiser than they knew
in founding upon the rock Of ages. We
must be equally oppressed to Imperialism
and socialism. This is fit task for An
glo-Saxon civilization, Notwithstanding
our enormous accrctions from other
races. Duty, not glory, Is the watchword
OF our patriotism. The Bible, the Sab
bath and liberty Of conscience must be de-
Tended, with Christ rs our leader indeed,
but with our own active cooperation as
well, or We shall 90 the way OF other ma
tions whose early history has been fair and
promising. We would be towards and
trliton II We did not recognize and fight
the old, but now freshly awakened, forces
Of public and social disorder. The kind OF
cooperation we advocate is not political.
Church and state must be separate. Christ
said: My kingdom is not of this world.
but his church can bC the channel Though
which he can work To supply health and
vigor To nation. Our common school
system is the peculiar product Of our
Anglo-SaNon christianity and we
must stand for u against
the very strong and dangerous attack OF
ultmmontanism, which has taken adj
vantage Of our divisions to Danish the
Bible from Il, and then, with savage in
consistency, attack Il ~ GOllcss. We
L.. ..ft. Il al. 4.
mcrcics OF supervisors who arc but the
tools OF ultramOntanism. But We must 90
deeper. We must seek not only to keep
this or that external insttution-wc must
strike nj the root Of sin In the heart. IL n
the one enemy Of liberty and everything
good. Cooperation In promoting vital,
intense, personal piciy is the one great
need. We must take higher ground Than
We did fourteen years ago at the New York
meeting OF this alliance, when the divi-
sions Of Protestant christcndom were
apologizcd for. Thank God, We are grow
ing wiser We are seeing that our divi-
sions are a weakness aud scandal. Hence
| hailed the call for this meeting 10 con-
suit how We can substitute cooperation
for the competition which has ~ wasted
our resources, especially on home mission
AIRY fields In the west, where, In small
towns, several churches, by their compcti-
tions, afford spectacle to make devils
laugh and angels weep, and in cities the
need ol union Is equally great But fur.
thcr cooperation is nccdiul u the church
is to be- ~ she should, the mediator be-
tween the rich aud the poor 10 prevent
the dcspoiism and the waste oi socialism
II is the foe not alom 90 wealth, but also
Of liberty, Of hope and Of everything just
By reason OF our divisions Protestant
christianity has lost the touch with the
| 'disintcrcstcd' masses. Our divisions have
impoverished our love for man, NJ ultra.
montansm often fails to minister 10 the
want Il creates and fosters, and leaves %
us Protcstants 10 feed and clolhc. She
makes q magnificent and imposing show Of
caring for the poor, but II Is hollow aud
unreal. We have been miscmbly aud
seldshly divided, aud hence our weakness.
Our magnificent heritage Is In danger.
The cry OF the poor In cities Is going up to
a father In heaven whom We have not ci.
icctiycly led them 10 know, because We
have not worked together M one body, OF
which Christ is the head" [Grcat ap-
plausc.
AZ the conclusion Of the address, Prcsi.
| dent Dodge said that In coming iO the
church he had overheard an old lady tell
another that the people flocking here were
/ going 10 an "angclical" alliance. "shall
we not make Il ~ In truth2' he asked.
The Rev. DIR. Washington Gladcn, Of
Columbus, o., was introduced, aud con.
| tinucd the subject lie said there must be
| diversity Of operation In grace as IN nature.
hut diversity Is one thing, and divisions
arc quite another. They display, not the
manifold wisdom Of God, but the pcrycrsi.
Is Of man. Organic formal consolidation
/ II not practical. itugical uniformity has
done about all Il can at present. don't
| hope much from sentimental unity. Union
meetings In which We can tell one another
before the public how much We love each
other are all righ, II il Il true" aid the
speaker, "but, u not, Il ~ cant. Profession
| should halt until practice catches up. But
cooperation is possible among those who
differ about many things merely external.
We have made progress IN this matter.
Members and ministers pass and rcpass
| freely from church 10 church. We unite
/ In evangelical labor, which Is good " We
/ don't break up the allegiance oi indiyidu.
als 90 u particular church. We cant warm
n city by big bon.iipH In hcpublic squares
A man converted IN church viii, on
the average, do a. much as two men con.
yerlcd In n rink A thing much les
dcmonglratyc Is better. The best parts VI